Chuck Hagel: “25 years from now most of the events and personalities of September 2005 will have passed into the pages of history. New…”

“25 years from now most of the events and personalities of September 2005 will have passed into the pages of history. New Orleans will once again stand proudly as one of America's most vibrant cities; America will have been forced to address our need for energy independence; and the legacies of today's politicians will be the work of tomorrow's history professors. However, the confirmation of John Roberts as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court could well be even more significant in 2030 than it is today. The Roberts Court will have a profound and historic impact on the preservation of liberty for decades to come. I first met John Roberts when we both served in the Reagan administration in the early 1980s. He is a person of enormous intelligence, character and judgement. His performance in his Senate confirmation hearings earlier this month transcended television ads, internet blogs, television talking heads, and the million dollar industry that reduces the judicial nominations process to caricatures and buzz words across the political spectrum. As many of my colleagues have noted, the Roberts confirmation hearings forced a serious examination of the role of the Supreme Court and the Federal Government in our society. My beliefs about the role of Government were shaped and molded when I served on the staff of Nebraska Congressman John Y. McCollister in the 1970s.…”